New Campaign world thought process [Archive] - Wizards Community

New Campaign world thought process [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Cornell_Magunatis
02-25-07, 06:21 PM I recently read something on the internet that inspiried me to do this. Rich Burley (the author of Steel dreams and Illumination campaign settings) wanted to create a new campaign setting, so what he did was put articles on the web that were basically his thought process. He thought out loud on the internet and described what he was thinking and why he made certian decisions. I want to do the same.

Part one 1a: Style and Purpose
I want my world to be a rough, fight to survive world. Not like a lot of "clean" campaign settings you see out there today. I like the idea of using different civilizations from through out history, this gives me infinate ideas and things to research. Vikings are deffinitly in, their adventurous ways and vicous fighting life style will give me a reason to have conflict without having major nations warring, I don't know whether that will be a PC class or not, I'll come back to that. The Romans, ancient (fuedal) chinese and aztecs or somthing from their time period and region are deffinatly in. I'll have to think of a way to place those different civilizations in my world without using the traditional mountain excuss. religon will be a little different and will tie in with magic. I am going to keep the core religons but maybe add a few extra, using historical ideas and pulling different aspects from different religons will give me a solid bank of ideas. Magic is not going to be "rare" like in most campaign settings, but it will be different. The wizard and cleric are still in and will be the two main magic classes. I don't know about the sorceror yet, I'll come back to that also. With the Wizard and cleric as the main spellcasters I want to mix up the magic classes. Maybe make a few religon specific classes. When I think of magic spellcasters I think of two types, the arcane, armor penalized spellcaster who gets spells from a spell book and a evil fighting/using spellcaster who gets their magic from the gods. Those are two very balanced characters, but I want to shake them up to make a few extra classes. Maybe a spellcaster who uses a spell book and gets spells from his diety, that gives me a whole new group of spells to make (which I don't mind), he gets spells for doing things patriotic to his diety, and if he doesn't do anything patriotic for his diety then he does;t get spells.

I will be back to talk about moe specific topics. in the mean while give me feedback as to what you think.
taradusis
02-25-07, 08:49 PM You could go with a hollow world,like pellucidar from edgar rice burroughs?The 2Ed MAZTICA setting is available as a free download at the 2ed archive on the main site?It's 300+pages so don't press print.Theres a few of the old maztica adventures as well.RANDOM THOUGHTS
Cornell_Magunatis
02-25-07, 09:41 PM Good idea but I want to keep the geography basic, something the players can relate to and already know from the beggining. Thanks for the idea.
taradusis
02-27-07, 06:42 PM Not to be a bother,but how about a flat plane?The players are finding paths to the other side of the world when they go dungeon diving?Maztica and feudal china are on the other side of the world from Rome?Perhaps you could consider psionics as an alternative to spellcasting?Perhaps the wu-jen grasp of elementism will be interesting?RANDOM THOUGHTS
taradusis
03-15-07, 08:52 PM Perhaps a world without currency?Having to barter for everything limits how much wealth you can carry.Instead of fighting for wealth you need to fight and adventure for other reasons?
Wayett
03-16-07, 04:42 PM First things first, his name is Rich Burlew (if you give credit, spell the name right plz). If you want a world that is based around survival, then have lots of hotter then normal deserts, colder then normal tunderas, storm filled seas and jungles filled with cannibals and dangerous critters. Make all encounters harder then normal. As taradusis said, make more bartering then coinage.

If your thinking Vikings, then make magic more feral and shamany for them.
Have Romans, they're cool, but they would have coinage, while all other places have different currency. Limiting the classes, like Romans aren't allowed druids and barbarians (cause they aren't supposedly). Give the barbarians more of a class selection then barbarian. Make a sailor class, rider class, a beserker class would be cool.

The pagan Nordic, Chinese, Kami, Roman, and other such panteons would be good, just change the names a bit. Kinda limit the races for each, orcs/humans as vikings, humans as romans, etc.

Well, all fer now. Praise and Complaints wanted.
PEACE!!
taradusis
03-22-07, 08:48 PM One of the toughest worlds I ever heard of was a world where you played a tribe of cavemen trying to survive in the ice age.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Cornell_Magunatis 02-25-07, 06:21 PM	I recently read something on the internet that inspiried me to do this. Rich Burley (the author of Steel dreams and Illumination campaign settings) wanted to create a new campaign setting, so what he did was put articles on the web that were basically his thought process. He thought out loud on the internet and described what he was thinking and why he made certian decisions. I want to do the same. Part one 1a: Style and Purpose I want my world to be a rough, fight to survive world. Not like a lot of "clean" campaign settings you see out there today. I like the idea of using different civilizations from through out history, this gives me infinate ideas and things to research. Vikings are deffinitly in, their adventurous ways and vicous fighting life style will give me a reason to have conflict without having major nations warring, I don't know whether that will be a PC class or not, I'll come back to that. The Romans, ancient (fuedal) chinese and aztecs or somthing from their time period and region are deffinatly in. I'll have to think of a way to place those different civilizations in my world without using the traditional mountain excuss. religon will be a little different and will tie in with magic. I am going to keep the core religons but maybe add a few extra, using historical ideas and pulling different aspects from different religons will give me a solid bank of ideas. Magic is not going to be "rare" like in most campaign settings, but it will be different. The wizard and cleric are still in and will be the two main magic classes. I don't know about the sorceror yet, I'll come back to that also. With the Wizard and cleric as the main spellcasters I want to mix up the magic classes. Maybe make a few religon specific classes. When I think of magic spellcasters I think of two types, the arcane, armor penalized spellcaster who gets spells from a spell book and a evil fighting/using spellcaster who gets their magic from the gods. Those are two very balanced characters, but I want to shake them up to make a few extra classes. Maybe a spellcaster who uses a spell book and gets spells from his diety, that gives me a whole new group of spells to make (which I don't mind), he gets spells for doing things patriotic to his diety, and if he doesn't do anything patriotic for his diety then he does;t get spells. I will be back to talk about moe specific topics. in the mean while give me feedback as to what you think.
taradusis 02-25-07, 08:49 PM	You could go with a hollow world,like pellucidar from edgar rice burroughs?The 2Ed MAZTICA setting is available as a free download at the 2ed archive on the main site?It's 300+pages so don't press print.Theres a few of the old maztica adventures as well.RANDOM THOUGHTS
Cornell_Magunatis 02-25-07, 09:41 PM	Good idea but I want to keep the geography basic, something the players can relate to and already know from the beggining. Thanks for the idea.
taradusis 02-27-07, 06:42 PM	Not to be a bother,but how about a flat plane?The players are finding paths to the other side of the world when they go dungeon diving?Maztica and feudal china are on the other side of the world from Rome?Perhaps you could consider psionics as an alternative to spellcasting?Perhaps the wu-jen grasp of elementism will be interesting?RANDOM THOUGHTS
taradusis 03-15-07, 08:52 PM	Perhaps a world without currency?Having to barter for everything limits how much wealth you can carry.Instead of fighting for wealth you need to fight and adventure for other reasons?
Wayett 03-16-07, 04:42 PM	First things first, his name is Rich Burlew (if you give credit, spell the name right plz). If you want a world that is based around survival, then have lots of hotter then normal deserts, colder then normal tunderas, storm filled seas and jungles filled with cannibals and dangerous critters. Make all encounters harder then normal. As taradusis said, make more bartering then coinage. If your thinking Vikings, then make magic more feral and shamany for them. Have Romans, they're cool, but they would have coinage, while all other places have different currency. Limiting the classes, like Romans aren't allowed druids and barbarians (cause they aren't supposedly). Give the barbarians more of a class selection then barbarian. Make a sailor class, rider class, a beserker class would be cool. The pagan Nordic, Chinese, Kami, Roman, and other such panteons would be good, just change the names a bit. Kinda limit the races for each, orcs/humans as vikings, humans as romans, etc. Well, all fer now. Praise and Complaints wanted. PEACE!!
taradusis 03-22-07, 08:48 PM	One of the toughest worlds I ever heard of was a world where you played a tribe of cavemen trying to survive in the ice age.